Press Release

Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services Office of the Fire Marshal	Ministère de la Sécurité communautaire et des Services correctionnels Bureau du commissaire des incendies
	Édifice Place Nouveau 7e étage 5775 rue Yonge North York ON M2M 4J1 Téléphone: 416-325-3100 Télécopieur: 416-325-3162	File Reference/Référence:

Working Smoke Alarms: It’s the Law!

TORONTO (February 28, 2006) – A new regulation requiring smoke alarms on every storey as well as outside all sleeping areas of every home will make Ontario an even safer place to live, says Community Safety and Correctional Services Minister Monte Kwinter.

“It’s simple – smoke alarms save lives,” says Kwinter. “Even with the lowest fire death rate in Ontario’s history in 2005, we can all do more to protect our loved ones. Installing smoke alarms on every storey of a home and outside all sleeping areas can ensure your family has the precious seconds needed to escape from a fire. The new regulation that takes effect March 1, 2006 will mean safer homes and safer communities.”

Announced in December, the smoke alarm amendment to the Ontario Fire Code applies to all single family, semi-detached and town homes, whether owner-occupied or rented. It was announced in conjunction with the launch of the Office of the Fire Marshal’s public education campaign, Working Smoke Alarms: It’s the Law!, designed to heighten awareness about the importance of working smoke alarms.

“Since 1997, the number of fire deaths has declined by 50 per cent,” said Bernard Moyle, Fire Marshal for Ontario. “Although these numbers reflect a milestone in Ontario’s fire history, people are still losing their lives in fires. We expect that having more smoke alarms in homes will mean earlier warning of fire, which will result in faster escape by occupants, earlier arrival by the fire department and ultimately less risk to firefighters and the public.”

Smoke alarms can be purchased for as little as $10. Municipal fire departments across Ontario have increased their public education efforts to ensure homeowners are in compliance and will soon be enforcing the new smoke alarm requirements. For homeowners, tenants and individual landlords, non-compliance with the Fire Code smoke alarm requirements can result in a ticket for $235 or a fine of up to $50,000.

For more information on smoke alarms and the new requirements, the public is encouraged to contact their local fire department.

For more information, please contact:
Carol Gravelle, Office of the Fire Marshal, 416-325-3138
Janice Johnstone, Office of the Fire Marshal, 416-325-3151